Morning Brief: Shuffles, Trade and Treason

Today’s Morning Brief is brought to you by Women in Communications and Technology – National Capital Region. Please join us at our 2018 season closer! This year’s send-off event will highlight our ongoing initiative Her Words, Our Wisdom with a few special guests sharing their “2-minutes” of wisdom LIVE.

A good Tuesday morning to you. It’s World Emoji Day, so in its honour, here’s a quick synopsis of the press conference yesterday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin:

😒 😧 🤯💩

More on that below.

First, the gossip mills are grinding away in Ottawa and spotters are deployed at the airport to see which Liberal cabinet ministers and backbenchers slip into town today in advance of tomorrow’s anticipated cabinet shuffle. All indications are that PM Justin Trudeau will expand his cabinet by at least two and perhaps by as many as six people. High on the agenda are the creation of ministers for small business and seniors issues, but also to redistribute some portfolios that are currently being doubled up by one cabinet minister.

Meanwhile, Trudeau is spending today in Nova Scotia and plans to meet with Premier Stephen McNeil this morning, where the two have an announcement planned for the East Pictou Middle School.

Doug Ford shakes hands with Lisa Thompson. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

On the topic of middle schools, the newly installed Ford government seems to be quickly backtracking on its promise to scrap the sex education curriculum that had been developed by the previous Liberal government. Education Minister Lisa Thompson says certain elements of the Liberal curriculum will remain in place and that the only part that is set for revision or removal is the portion that deals with “developing sexual relations.” (You know, the whole part about consent and that “no” means no).

So what happens when the schoolyard bully badmouths the principal and then goes running to her for help? Well, in the giant playground skirmish of international trade, we’re about to find out. After levelling unprovoked attacks against most of its trade partners, the U.S. is now appealing for help from the World Trade Organization. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative filed separate complaints against Canada, the European Union, China, Mexico and Turkey for each having placed counter-tariffs on imports of American goods. “The actions taken by the president are wholly legitimate and fully justified as a matter of U.S. law and international trade rules,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. “Instead of working with us to address a common problem, some of our trading partners have elected to respond with retaliatory tariffs designed to punish American workers, farmers and companies.”

And for those who love a summer horse race, the latest Nanos poll numbers show the Liberals at 37, the Conservatives at 35, the NDP at 18 and the Greens at eight. With tomorrow’s shuffle and the Council of the Federation meeting later this week, stay tuned as the parties turn onto the home stretch toward the 2019 election.

Back to that historic summit between Trump and Putin, we may never know what was said during the nearly two-hour one-on-one discussion between the world leaders, but we sure know what was said during their joint press conference. As the press asked pointed questions about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and why Putin’s denial should be believed, Trump sided with his Russian counterpart — “They said they think it’s Russia,” Trump said. “I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia.” — blaming the U.S. for cold relations with Russia and ranting about Hillary Clinton’s emails and a missing DNC server (that isn’t actually one server and isn’t missing).

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of the press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Reaction has been overwhelmingly critical of Trump, who is seen as having bowed to Putin.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the post-summit press conference “embarassing” and said Trump “stood there like a little wet noodle, like a little fan boy.”

Members of Trump’s Republican party were also vocal in their disapproval. Senator John McCain said “No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.” Newt Gingrich called the press conference “the most serious mistake of [Trump’s] presidency.” Mitt Romney – who is hoping for a spot in the Senate – called the president’s performance “disgraceful and detrimental to our democratic principles.”

Senator Rand Paul, meanwhile doesn’t “quite understand all of the people who have gone completely deranged criticizing the president.” Really?

Still with Russia-U.S. relations, the day after 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted on a charge of hacking Democratic computers during the 2016 campaign, charges were filed against Mariia Butina. The Russian woman tried to broker a secret meeting between Trump and Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign and is accused of working with Americans to carry out a secret Russian effort to influence American politics. But… but… Putin’s denial was so strong!

In case you missed it, Trump once again labelled himself a “very stable genius” during a NATO press conference last week. Randy Rainbow didn’t miss the comment. He penned a catchy little ditty about it.